Asian Motifs in Eighteenth-Century Siberian Church Architecture

Asian Motifs in Eighteenth-Century Siberian Church Architecture Text and Photographs by William Craft Brumfield ussi a 's eng ag emen t wi th Asi an pe o p l e s and century, such as the Church of the Twelve Apostles cultures forms a topic whose boundaries have in the Moscow Kremlin. However, the window yet to be thoroughly explored, particularly pediments of certain eighteenth-century Siberian Rin the relationship between Russian and Asicahnu rches have a particularly sharp and elevated architecture. As an artifact demanding significant “fiery” form reminiscent of widespread Buddhist resources as well as building skills, architecture iconographic and decorative forms. It seems to involves numerous factors related to social, us that the decisive factor resides precisely in economic, and cultural history. The present article taxonomic details. Furthermore, the presence of will not attempt to give a detailed examination of explicitly Buddhist motifs on the facades of Siberian this broader topic of Russo-Asian relations, but will monuments suchas the C hurch of the Elevation of the point to specific instances, primarily in Siberian Cross in I rkutsk demonstrates the acceptance of such church architecture of the eighteenth century, motifs in eighteenth-century Siberian church design that suggest a Russian receptivity to East Asian Although the most obvious examples of this ornamentation. It is plausible that the growth of tendency occur in eastern Siberia, we will suggest trade between Russia and East Asia (especially that the appearance of Asian decorative motifs China) would have created the possibilities for occurred relatively early in western Siberian cities borrowing in architecture, particularly of decorative such as Tobolsk. This is plausible because of the motifs that could be disseminated in printed form. role that Tobolsk played as the “capital” of Siberia Indeed, it would appear that this receptivity for much of the eighteenth century. Indeed, we was encouraged precisely by the highly ornamental know at least one case in which the same builders styles of Muscovite and Ukrainian “baroque” church were present in both Tobolsk and Irkutsk at this architecture brought to Siberia by church prelates early stage of masonry construction in Siberia. For and builders from Ukraine and the Russian north example, one of the oldest historic buildings of in the early part of the eighteenth century. This Tobolsk is the Church of the Savior (Fig. 1), built Russo-Ukrainian tendency toward elaborate facade to the north of the kremlin in 1709-13 and similar ornamentation, which lasted in “Siberian baroque” in some details to the contemporary Savior Church architecture throughout the eighteenth century, in Irkutsk (see Fig. 3). In form and ornament it created a tolerance for decorative motifs from a represents a combination of seventeenth-century variety of other sources, including the shrines, or Muscovite design (the geometrically imprecise stupas, of East Asian Buddhist culture.1 As will be ground plan, the heavy but visually impressive seen below, these motifs are in some cases clear brickwork) and flamboyant decorative motifs.3 quotations from Buddhist art. In other examples, The most visible elements on the facade of such as complex, steeply elevated window the Savior Church are the high ogival pediments pediments, the possibility of Asian derivation is (referred to as “fiery,” because of their resemblance based on the formal resemblance to stupa forms and to flames) above the main windows. A similar devotional objects such as metal Buddhist lamps.2 motif appeared on the northeast chapel of the Of course, various interpretations are possible Trinity Church in Tiumen (Fig. 2), constructed at for the homomorphic characteristics of many of the same time and probably by masons supervised these decorative figures. And there are numerous by the same master, Matvei Maksimov of Tobolsk.4 examples of complex ogival window pediments Although there is as yet no clear explanation for in Russian church architecture of the seventeenth the appearance of this motif, the general outline The Harriman Review 1 (1) Church of the Savior (Tobolsk), east view. bears a resemblance to the tapering vertical form styles and varied forms combined Russian and of the stupa (suburgan) in Buddhist architecture Ukrainian influences with motifs that in some of south and East Asia, including Mongolia. One cases seem derived from Asian, Buddhist sources. could even note the crown of flames that often Moscow, of course, played a central role in appears above the head of the Buddha. Almost defining the forms of religious architecture in S iberia, all major Siberian settlements were in some way but the pioneering culture of the Russian north—in connected by trading contacts with East Asia, towns such as Vologda, Totma, Velikii Ustiug, and and this elaborate ogival design appears on Solvychegodsk also provided inspiration for the eighteenth-century churches throughout eastern churches of Irkutsk.9 The construction surge during Siberia, from Yeniseisk to the Transbaikal area.5 the middle of the eighteenth century gave rise to a Eastern motifs are particularly rich in the c hurch rich urban silhouette created by the positioning of architecture of Irkutsk, located on the banks of the churches, with their vertical accents of cupolas and Angara R iver, a t ributary of the Yenisei. After various towers, along the city's thoroughfares, streets, and attempts to found a winter base on the Angara rivers.10 during the 1650s, a log fort was constructed in 1661 This process unfolded with special creativity in on the eventual site of Irkutsk, at the confluence of eighteenth-century monuments such as the Church the Angara and Irkut Rivers.6 The original purpose of the Miraculous Icon of the Savior (Fig. 3), whose of the settlement was to establish Russian authority basic design reflects the parish architecture of and trade with the region's aboriginal Buriats. Moscow and Yaroslavl at the end of the seventeenth Additional forts were built in 1668-69, and Irkutsk century. For its time, this is a rare example of an grew rapidly by virtue of its favorable location attributed structure, built by the architect Moisei among them. In 1686 it gained the status of town, Ivanovich Dolgikh, a descendant of Moscow brick and shortly thereafter began sending caravans masons. Experienced masons were a rarity in to China, which ultimately became an important Siberia, and the state Siberian Office (Sibirskii prikaz) source of trade and cultural influence for Irkutsk.7 created in Verkhotur'e and Tobolsk a base of cadres By the beginning of the eighteenth century, who could be sent to other Siberian towns. Archival Irkutsk, whose log fort had been rebuilt in 1670, was evidence indicates that Dolgikh had joined one of rapidly becoming the undisputed administrative the earliest groups of master builders (podmaster'ia) and commercial center of eastern Siberia. One sent to Siberia—specifically, Tobolsk—in 1687.11 of the clearest signs of this growing importance Having spent ten years at work on the large is the number of large masonry churches, which ensemble surrounding the Sophia Cathedral in made Irkutsk one of the most significant centers of Tobolsk, Dolgikh apparently returned to Moscow church design in Siberia, rivaled only by Tobolsk without official leave from Tobolsk, worked an in western Siberia.8 Their profusion of decorative additional five years in Moscow, and concluded 2 The Harriman Review Clockwise from top left: (2) Trinity Monastery, Cathedral of the Trinity (Tiumen), east view; (3) Church of Mandilion Icon of the Savior (Irkutsk), southeast view; (4) Church of the Mandilion Icon of the Savior (Irkutsk), south view. The Harriman Review 3 a new con t rac t wit h the voevoda in Verkh o tur ' e. 12 Dymkovo fresco could only have occurred later, the From there he was sent to Irkutsk in 1701. links between the two areas continued throughout Construction of the Savior Church—situated at the eighteenth century. the south wall of the fort near the Angara River— By the middle decades of the eighteenth century, began in 1706 with support from the voevoda A. Irkutsk advanced to a new level of commercial I. Siniavin and the townspeople. In 1710 the two- importance in Siberia. Not only was the majority of story cuboid structure was completed and its its population involved in entrepreneurial activity primary altar consecrated by Varlaam, the first of one form or another, but its merchantry assumed bishop to serve in Irkutsk.13 Of the new church's an increasingly important role in guiding the two stories the lower was originally used in city—particularly in the absence of an established traditional Russian fashion as a storehouse for fur local nobility.18 Although the state administration pelts and other valuables until 1713, when a second of Catherine the Great still ruled with a strong altar, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, was consecrated hand and provided few meaningful guarantees for winter services in this space.14 The surrounds of of individual rights, eighteenth-century Irkutsk the main windows on all facades culminate in the demonstrates the relative freedom within which vertical, “flaring” pediments similar to those of the private initiative developed in certain parts of Church of the Savior in Tobolsk. Indeed, this is the Siberia, as opposed to European Russia with its earliest known appearance of these stupa-like forms more rigid social structure based on serfdom. in eastern Siberian architecture. The dominant The details of Irkutsk's economic growth component of the Church of the Savior appeared would require a separate study, but the 1760s held almost half a century later with the construction a spe ci a l s ig n ifi can ce wi th the devel op men t of in 1758-62 of a bell tower (Fig. 4) at the west end the Moscow Road, more reliable in comparison of the vestibule.

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